Automatic coat-hanger-making machine



Sept. 10, 1929. E. B. MALOON 1,727,513

AUTOMATIC com HANGER mm maxim:

Filed Aug. 27, 1928 6 SheetsSheet 1 EARL .B. MALOOM BY jfih gm. MW *6 (1 ATTORNEYS.

p 10, 1929- E. B. MALOON 1,727,513

AUTOMATIC COAT HANGER MAKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. EA RL 3- MALooM A TTOR NE YS.

Sept. 10, 1929. E. B. MALOON 1,727,513

' AUTOMATIC COAT HNGER MAKING MACHINE Filed Aug.- 27, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheed- 4 1 I I 1 I I l l l I L 120/9 11 1 123 INVENTOR.

EARL B. MALOOJV- BY M 6 A TTORNE Y5.

Sept. 10, 1929. E. B. MALOON AUTOMATIC COAT HANGER MAKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 R 22 r 12 .43 '7 for i 0 6 '0 /l K 0 a f 23 Flo. 12. 11 15" A ll 1N VENTOR.

EARL .B. mLowv.

A TTORNE Y5.

Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

unirsn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARL B. MALOON, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY 'MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HELEN L. JACKSON, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC COAT-HANGER-MAKIN'G MACHINE.

Application filed August 27, 1928. Serial No. 302,205.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic coat hanger making machines, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an automatic coat hanger making machine which will take a rough wooden hanger and chip the ends of the hanger, then bevel the top of the hanger for providing a smooth garmentsupporting surface, then drill an opening in the center of the hanger, insert a wire in the opening, bend a hook on the free endof the wire, and then discharge the completed hanger from the machine, all of these operations being performed automatically. In addition to this, the hanger is printed while passing through the machine. The machine only requires one operator whose duty is to ,keep the magazine filled with unfinished hangers and the wire hopper filled with wires that are used for forming the hooks. As already stated, the hanger, when completed and printed, will automatically be discharged 0 from the machine, and may be conveyed to any point desired. An operator is not needed at the discharge end.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide a burnishing device for the hanger which will out with the grain of the wood and thereby provide a smooth surface on the top of the hanger. To accomplish this I provide two burnishers, one functioning from the center to one end of the hanger and the other engagmg with the opposite end of the hanger and working up to the center. The rotation of the burnishers is such as to cut with the grain of the wood and thereby provide a smooth surface.

Other objects and advantages will appear the specification proceeds, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in what I hereinafter claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this ap plication, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Figure 2 is a section along the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 33 of Figure 4;

Figure 4.- is a section along the line fr-*4: of Figure 3;

Figure 5'is asection along the line 55 0 Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section along the line 66 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a section along the line 77 of Figure 1 Figure 8 is a top plan View of the wire feeder; I

Figure 9 is asection along the line 99 of Figure 8:

Figure 10 is a section along the line 101O y of Figure 2; I I

Figure 11 is a section along the line 1111 of Figure 2; I

Figure 12 is a section along the line 12 12 of Figure 4;

Figure 13 is a section along the line 1313 of Figure 12;

Figures land 15 are top and side views respectively of a portion of the hanger-feeding mechanism; i

Figure 16 is atop plan view of a portion of the hanger carrier;

Figures 17 and 18-are sections along the lines 1717 and 18 -18 on Figure 16 respectively;

Figure 19 shows a completed hanger; and

Figure 20 is a'section along the line 2020 of Figure 1.

The machine consists of a number of units which carry an incomplete hanger from a magazine to the discharge end of the machine, and during the travel of the hanger perform a series of operations which provide a complete hanger when it leaves the machine even to the extent of printing on the surface of the hanger. The machine in its essentials consists of a hanger-feeding mechanism indicated generally at A (see Figure 1), a hanger carrier indicated generally at B, a burnishing device indicated at C, a drill indicated at D, a wire feeder E, a printer F, a hook-forming device G, and a discharge guide H. In addition to this, the ends of the wooden hanger are chipped by a mechanism I work ing in conjunction with the hangerfeeder A.

H anger magazine and feeder.

This device is shown in Figures 1, 3, and 12 to 15 inclusive. Reference to Figures 1 and 3 shows a frame 1 which carries all of the devices A to I inclusive. Figure 3 shows a bracket 2 that is carried by the frame 1,

and upon this bracket I mount a hanger magazine consisting of vertical front members 3 and verticalrear members 4. In Figure 1 I show a hanger in position. The hangers are stacked one above the other, and the members 3 and 4 are high enough to hold a large quantity of hangers.

Figure 4 clearly show the members 3 and 4 and shows how the ends of the hanger 5' are received between these members, and further shows how the ends of the hanger are prevented from moving laterally by side pieces 6. Reference to Figure 5shows how the lowermost hanger rests upon guideways 7 formed in the bracket- 2. The middle portion of the hanger also rests on the ends of feeder members 8 as shown in Figures 5 and 12. The feeders 8 are two in number, and are movable by a mechanism hereinafter described. When in normal position, the hanger 5 rests upon the surface 9. Figure 5 shows how far apart the feeders8 are spaced from each other.

Referring to Figure 12, it will be noted that a movement of the feeder to the right will bring a recess 10 beneath the lowermost hanger 5 and will permit the hanger to drop into this recess. A movement of the feeder to the left in Figure 12 will move the lowermost hanger from beneath the pile and will cause the hanger disposed directly above to now rest upon the edge 9. The recess 10 is just deep enough to receive one hanger at a time.

I provide means for holding the hanger 5 in the position X shown in Figure 12 while the recess 10 moves to the right with the feeder and receives another hanger. While the hanger is held in the position X, the first trigger 11 of a series of triggers slides beneath the hanger and brings, its front edge 12 in back of the hanger, whereupon a movement of the feeder to the left will advance the hanger from the position X to the position Y. This to-and-fro movement of the feeders 8 moves the hangers step by step until they finally reach the master ring B (see Figure 12).

In Figures 14 and 15 I show the means for holding the hangers against movement to the right after they have been moved to the left in Figure 12 by the feeders 8. The hangerholding members comprise a U-shaped frame 13 (see also Figure 4). This frame is carried by the members 3, and the legs of the frame extend parallel with thefeeders 8 as shown in Figure 5. Each leg carries a pair of links 14 and 15, these links being pivoted to the legs at 16 and 17 (see Figure 14). Gravity-actuated members 18 are disposed on the inside of the legs and are pivotally connected to the links 14 and 15 at 19 and 20. Figure 15 showsthe under-edge of the members 18. Teeth 21 are provided in the underedge and are of a size to cooperate with the triggers llfor holding the hangers in each advanced position while the triggers are moving back to advance the next hanger. The members 18 rest by gravity upon the hangers, and they are raised as the hangers are moved to the left in Figure 12 and then drop to hold the hangers in their advanced positions. At each step the hangers rest uponthe surfaces 22 shown in Figure 12 and are held against backward movement by shoulders 23 and the members 18 (see Figure 15).

I provide means for holding the centers of the hangers against upward movement. In

t Figure 3 I show a member 24 having recesses 25 cut in its lower edge for permitting springs 26 to be flexed into these recesses. Figure 5 shows how the member 24 is centrally disposed. The springs 26 merely bring pressure to bear upon the centers of the hangers and hold them against upward movement.

In addition to this, I provide two spring arms 27 shown in Figures 3 and 4. These arms are carried by a cross member 28 (see Figure 4) supported by the bracket 2,-and have their free ends yieldingly held in engagement upon the hangers as shown in Figure 5.

I will now describe the means for moving the feeders 8. It is best to start with the source of power, which consists of a belt 29 (see Figure 2) leading from motor or other power device. The belt 29 is passed over a pulley 30 that is loosely mounted upon a shaft 31, the latter being carried in the frame 1. A. pinion 32 is connected to the pulley 30 by a sleeve, and the pinion is in mesh with a gear 33. It will further be noted from Figure 2 that the gear 33 is loosely mounted upon a second shaft 34. A clutch 35 is keyed to the shaft. and when this is thrown into engagement the shaft 34 is rotated. At this point it is best to refer to Figure 3 where I show the shaft 34 to the left of the drawing. At the front of the machine and below the bracket 2, I mount ashaft 36, and this shaft is connected to the shaft 34 by a chain and sprockets 37. A. cam 38 is keyed to the shaft 36 and has a cam groove 39 therein. A lever 40 h s a roller 41 received in this groove. The lever is pivoted at 42 to the bracket 2. A

turn buckle 43 connects the top of the lever 10 with a cross-piece 44. This cross-piece is clearly shown in Figure 5, and this figure further shows how the ends of the piece are connected to the feeders 8. The rotation of the cam 38 will move the cross piece l-it back and forth, and this movement advances the hanger step by step as already set forth.

(flipping device.

Before describing how the hangers are fed into the ring B, T will set forth the device for chi iping' the ends of the hangers. This device is shown in Figures 3 and l. The cam 38 contacts with a cam follower 15 that is pivoted at 4-2 and has its free end connected to a lint: 4:6. The ring is secured to plunger rods 47 that are carried by the bracket 2. A cross-piece 48 connects the tops of the rods l7 and *arries chippers 49. The cam 38 is so timed with respect to the feeders as to cause the chippers to cut oil the ends of the hanger 5 in the manner shown at 50 in Fig ure 19 while the hanger is held stationary in the feeder. Thecut ends 50 permit a cross piece 51 to be secured to thel anger after the latter is completed.

Ham er-carri 1 2m rim The complete ring is shown in Fi ure 1. In Figure 2 I show a cross section through the ring B. The under-edge of the ring is provided with a rack 52, and this rack slides in a groove 53 formed in the top of the frame 1. The ring is supported by a number of idler pinions 54 (see Figure 1), these pinions being mounted in bearings 55 that are secured to the under surface, of the frame top 1.. I show four idler pinions, one of these being used for driving the printing device hereinafter described. The groove 53 is cut away adjacent to the idlers 5 1, and the entire weight of the ring i3 is carried by the idlers.

i move the ring); intermittently, each movement carrying the ring through an arc of ninety degrees. The means for doing this is shown in Figure 2. l have already set forth how the shaft Set is rotated when the clutch 35 is thrown in. It gear 56 is heyed to the right hand end of the shaft in Figure 2, and this meshes with a gear 57 loosely mounted upon the shaft 31. The gear 57 is connected to a Geneva crank of a Geneva movement mechanism shown in Figure 10. he crank 58 carries a roller which operates a Genevadial 66 for each revolution of the crank The dial 60 (note 2) is connected to a gear 61 by a sleeve 62, and this gear meshes with a pinion 63 mounted upon a shaft 64:. The sleeve 62 rotates independently of the shot. 3 1. The shaft or carries a driving pinion 65 which meshes with the rack 52 of the ring B. The gearing between the Geneva movement and the shaft a 61 is such as to cause the ring B to rotate through one-quarter of a circle eachtime it is moved.

I provide a centering pinfor bringing; the ring to a stop in the, exact position desired.

This pin is shown in Figure 3, and bears the brought into contact with the periphery of the ring B, and the compression is increased as a recess 69 (see Figure 16) in the ring comes into alignment with the pm. As soon as this alignment, takes place, the pin in stantly enters the recess and'stops further.

movement of the ring. The pin is withdrawn from the recess by the,cross-piec-e 4A and the lever -10 prior to the next movement ofthe ring.

I provide novel means for securing the hangers to the ring as they leave the feeding mechanism and for holding these hangers on the ring until the completed hanger is ready to be discharged.- The ring is designed to hold four hangers at one time, and I therefore provide four sets of hanger-gripping devices. An explanation of one will sufiice. A-portion of the ring B is shown in Figure 16, and this portion shows two bearings 70 and 71 disposed on top of the ring and pivotally carrying gripping members "4'2 and IS. A crosssectional. 7 view through these members is shown in Figure 17. The member 72 is provided with a smaller depending 'portion'l l than the depending portion 75 of the member 73. The purpose of this will be hereinafter described. A spring 76 urges each member into gripping relation with the hanger 5. Note the hanger 5 in Figure 17 as shown by the dotted lines.

The feeders 12 move the hangers 5 onto the upon the upper surface of the hanger.

The top of the frame 1 carries two cam strips, a lower one 79 and an upper one 80. Figure 1 shows a top plan view of these strips, and Figure 20 shows a sectional view. At the feeding end of the machine the upper strip 80 holds the gripper 72 in released position as shown in Figures 16 and 17, while the lower strip 7 9 holds the gripper 7 3 in released position. The instant the ring B starts to r0- tate, the depending portions 74 and 75 will ride free oftheir respective cams and will permit the grippers to hold the hangers in place. The grippers maintain their positions until they come to the discharge end of the machine. Figure 1 shows how the grippers will again engage with the cams 79 and 80 for freeingthe hanger and permitting it to be discharged in the manner hereinafter described.

Barm'shing device.

and each cam is provided with a low portion for permitting cam followers 86 and 87 to allow arms 88 and 89 to swing toward each other due to the action of a spring90. The arms are mounted upon uprights 91 and 92,

Y and these in turn are carried by a bracket 93 (see Figure 2) that isv supported by the frame 1.

Each arm carries a motor, and these are in dicated by reference numerals 94 and 95. Each motor carries a burnisher indicated by the reference numerals 96 and 97. During the operation of the machine, the burnishers are constantly rotating in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1. The burnisher 96 is brought into contact with the hanger 5 while the ring B is moving the hanger from the feeder to the'burm'sher. The burnisher strikesthe hanger at its midpoint and smooths and rounds the top of the hanger from the midpoint to one .end of the hanger. As the ring moves the hanger from the burnisher to the drill, the burnisher wheel 97 engages with the hanger at the end thereof and works up to the center of the hanger. The rotation of the burnishing wheels and the fact that one wheel smooths from the center to the end of the hanger and the other from the opposite end of the hanger to the center causes the wood to be cut with the grain and to provide a smooth rounded top to the hanger. nishing wheel is used for smoothing the en tire top of the hanger.

In Figure 1 I have shown recesses 94; in the ring B. One of these recesses is more clearly shown in Figure 16. These recesses are designed toreceive the burnishing wheels just after they leave the hanger and prior to the time the cams 81 and 82 move them away from the ring and hanger. From the burnishing device the hanger moves to the drill and to the wire feeder. These will now be described.

Drill and we're feeder.

The reason for describing both of these at the same time is that both are worked to- This is not possible where one bur top plan view of the drill and wire feeder is shown in Figure 1, and-a sectional View is shown in Figure 6. The hanger is brought to a stop in front of the drill and is centered with respect thereto. A cam 98 is mounted on the shaft 34 (see Figure 6). This cam has a cam groove 99 therein. A lever 100 has a roller 101 that is received in the groove. The lower end of the lever is connected to a link 102, and this in turn is loosely mounted on the shaft 31. The upper end of the lever is connected to a pinion 103 by a link 10 1. The pinion rides on a stationary rack 105 and also meshes with a movable rack 106.

The rack 106 carries a rod 107 that moves a drill motor 108 back and forth on guide rods 109 (see Figure 1). A drill bit 110 is carried by the motor 108, and this bit enters the hanger 5 (see Figure 6) when the lever 100 swings to the right. The distance through which the bit 110 moves is sufiicient to just make-an opening entirely through the hanger. After the completion of the drilling, the lever 100 starts to swing to the left and carries the bit 110 away from the hanger.

In moving to the left in Figure 6, the lever causes the rack 106'to move a plunger 111 to the left; This plunger engages with a head 112 of a wire 118 and moves this wire through the opening made by the bit and causes the head of the wire 112 to press against the bottom of the hanger as shown Figure 19. The plunger 111 now moves back, and during its movement and before the bit 110 again comes into play, a new hanger has ta zen the place of the hanger provided with the wire 113.

The bit has a tendency to buckle the center of the hanger during the drilling operation. To overcome this, I provide a pivoted clampingvmember 114 (see Figure 6, also Figure 1). This member is forced down upon the hanger 5 by a lever 115, and the latter is moved by a cam follower 116 that rides upon the cam 98. A spring 11'? keeps the cam follower 116 against the cam. It should also be noted that a spring 118 (see Figure 6) holds the roller 101 against one side of the cam groove 99. The cam 98 is so designed as to clamp the member 11 1 down upon the hanger during the drilling operation and also during the time the wire 113 is being moved in place.

Wires 113 are fed from a magazine down into a position to be moved by the plunger 111 oneat a time. A feeding device is shown in enlarged detail in Figures 6, 8 and 9. Upon the top of the frame 1 (see Figure 9) I mount a guide block 119. A slide 120 moves in this block. This slide carries two blades 121. and 122, and these blades are so positioned (see Figure 9) as to permit only one wire 113 at a time to drop into a grove 123.

gether and from the same cam mechanism. A The member 120 is reciprocated by a lever and delivers at the place He completed hanger. The burnishing wheels round the top of the hanger as shown at 165 as shown in Figure 19. '7

The entire machine may be started and stopped by actuating a lever 166 shown in Figure 3 and also in Figure 5. The lever when movedto the right in Figure 3 rocks a rod 167 by means of a link 168. Figure 5 shows how the rod carries an arm 169 which is connected to a bell crank lever 170 (see Figure 11) by a link 171. The lever 166 is held in operative position by a pawl 17 2 that rides in an arcuate rack 173 carried by the frame 1 (see Figure 5). The bell crank lever 170 (see Figure 11) when moved into operative position compresses a spring 174 and lowers a d'etent 175 out of a groove 176 in the clutch member 3.5. This permits a pin 17 7 (see Figure 2) to enter a recess in the gear 33 l and to connect the shaft 34 with the gear.

When the operator wishes to stop the ma chine, he merely frees thetrigger 172, and

a this permits the spring 17 1 to move the detent .17 5 into the groove 176 and to cause this detent to engage with the pin 177 from the gear 33.

Although I have shown and described one to remove it 7 embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that thesame is susceptible of various changes, and I reserve the right to employ such changes as may come within the scope of the invention as claimed.

1. A coat hanger making machine comprising means for, burnishing the top of a wooden hanger, means for drilling an opening in said hanger, means for feeding a wire into said opening, means for bending a hook on the end of the-wire, and a hanger carrier fordelivering the hanger to said burnishing, drilling, nail-feeding and hook-bending 7 means successively. A coat hanger making machine comprising means for burnishing the top of a wooden hanger, means for drilling an opening in said hanger, means forfeeding a wire into said opening,means for bending a hook on the end of the wire, a hanger carrier for delivering the hanger to said bnrnishing, drilling, nail-feeding and hook-bending means successively, and a magazine for feeding 1 hangers to the carrier.

chine comprising a burnisher, a driller, a nail feeder, a printer, a hook bender, means for conveying a hanger to all of these devices, and means for-automatically discharging the hanger after the completion of the last operation.

5. An automatic coat hanger making machine comprising a hanger-feeding magazine, a hanger carrier for receiving hangers from the feeder, means carried by the carrier for automatically clamping hangers fed thereto, a burnishing device, a drilling and wire-feeding device, a printing device, a hook-forming device, means for moving said hanger carrier step by step to all of said devices, and means for automatically moving the completed hanger from the machine, said hanger-clamping means being freed for this purpose. 1

6. An automatic coat hanger making machine comprising a hanger feeding mechanism, a hanger carrier, means for feeding one hanger at a time to said carrier, means for chipping the ends of the hanger prior to the passage of the hanger to the carrier, a burnishing device, a drilling and wire-feeding device, a printing device, a hook-forming device, said carrier successively conveying a hanger to all of the places, and automatic means for discharging the completed hanger.

7. Anautomatic coathanger making machine comprising a frame, a hanger-carrying ring supported by the frame, a hanger-feeder for delivering hangers to said ring, automatic means carried-by said ring for gripping each hanger, a burnishing device, a drill and wire-feeding device, a printing device, and a hook-forming device carried by said frame and being disposed adjacent to said ring, and means for intermittently moving said ring for bringing the hangers carried thereby into operative relation with the devices, means for automatically releasing each hanger after it passes the hook-forming device, and means for conveying the completed hangers away from the machine.

8. An automatic coat hanger making machine comprising a frame, a hanger-supporting ring carried by said frame, a burnishing device, a drilling'and wire-feeding device, a

printing device and a hook-forming device carried by said frame and being positioned around said frame, a hanger-feeding mechanism for conveying hangers one at a time to thering, means for cutting off the ends of the hanger prior to the hanger being received by the ring, and means for intermittently moving said ring for bringing the hangers car ried thereby into operative relation with all of said devices successively.

EARL B. MALOON. 

